Leonardo DiCaprio Is Concerned About The Future Of Movie Theaters: ‘We’re Looking At A Huge Transition.’
Leonardo DiCaprio is the epitome of a Hollywood movie star. He’s always seen up on the big screen in box office hits like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Killers of the Flower Moon and Titanic. Following the theatrical release of his most recent action thriller, One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, DiCaprio is expressing his concern about the future of movie theaters, and I’m right there with him.
As an environmental activist, DiCaprio is used to fighting for endangered species, but there’s something else on the verge of extinction that hits the Revenant star close to home: movie theaters. Streaming has rapidly changed the way Hollywood makes and releases film and TV in the past six-seven years, and the Inception actor voiced out loud to The Times what many of us are thinking:
It’s changing at a lightning speed. We’re looking at a huge transition. First, documentaries disappeared from cinemas. Now, dramas only get finite time and people wait to see it on streamers. I don’t know. Do people still have the appetite? Or will cinemas become silos — like jazz bars?
Presumably, DiCaprio is referencing the fact that sources reportedly told Deadline Netflix wants movies in theaters for only 17 days or so before moving to streaming. With Netflix having recently acquired Warner Bros. in a bidding battle against Paramount, it’s very possible we could see that dramatic shift the Titanic actor is talking about happen this year.
While nostalgic remakes and cinematic phenomena like Barbenheimer, Top Gun Maverick, and Superman have done wonders to revive movie theater attendance in the years following the COVID-19, box office numbers are still recovering six years post-pandemic, when the streaming renaissance really took off. Box Office Mojo reports that the gross income for theaters in 2025 was still about $3 million short of the average pre-pandemic.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims the streaming giant is not against movies being shown in theaters, pointing to a handful of Netflix projects, including the Stranger Things 5 finale, that were presented as such in 2025. However, with Stranger Things only being limited to two days on the big screen, it feels more like a bonus cash grab for Netflix rather than support for the shared cinematic experience.
Sarandos said (via Variety) that he plans to uphold Warner Bros’ theatrical deal, with movies from the studio releasing first in theaters. Still, shortening the life of films in cinemas would still be detrimental to the theater industry.
The Wolf of Wall Street actor has always had success with his films, especially the six he’s done with Martin Scorsese. But with the possible precedent being set of movies only being in theaters for a little over two weeks, big names won’t be enough to get people through the doors. Even One Battle After Another failed to break even, causing Leonardo DiCaprio to make a plea for the future of his beloved art form:
I just hope enough people, who are real visionaries, get opportunities to do unique things in the future that are seen in the cinema.
Considering how DiCaprio’s career exploded off the blockbuster Titanic, I can see how this fear of the changing landscape would hit close to home for him. Personally, as a frequent moviegoer, I too fear a day where the national theater chains go under, and films are no longer accessible in person. There’s a certain magic to seeing a movie on the big screen that streaming at home can’t compete with. I will say, it comforts me to know that influential Hollywood figures like DiCaprio and DC Studios head James Gunn are committed to keeping the theatrical experience alive.
So be sure to keep a close eye on what’s coming up on the 2026 movie schedule so you can grab your friends and family to support your local theater!
